Public invited to ceremony to honour community outpouring for Kerr residents
By Nelson Daily Staff
It’s a public invite to a public event to celebrate public support for the former residents of the Kerr Apartment Building.
On behalf of Mayor John Dooley and City council, the Unmet Needs Committee and the former residents of the Kerr Apartments, people are invited to a public appreciation event in gratitude of generous support of the community.
The event will be held on Tuesday, May 24 at 11 a.m. at the Lakeside Playing Fields near the Tyler Lake Fieldhouse.
“The response to the Kerr’s Apartment fire demonstrated what a small city with a big heart can do,” said Allison Alder who chairs the committee.
“Generous donations of cash, goods, housing, and, most importantly, human compassion poured out from the community and are only now, five months later, ebbing.”
The Unmet Needs Committee saw diverse service providers work together to help people get back on their feet, said Alder.
“Because of the amazing community collaboration and generosity, not only have lives been changed, but outlooks on life have changed too.”
During the early morning of Jan. 6 a fire destroyed the Kerr Apartments, resulting in the evacuation of all its residents, leaving each of them faced with devastating loss and displacement.
It also marked the beginning of community-wide assistance and support to aid the residents in their recovery.
The community as a whole immediately began working cooperatively to aid and support residents as quickly as possible.
An Emergency Operations Centre was established to provide initial coordination and support. The Red Cross and Salvation Army worked together coordinating preliminary assessments and needs.
Temporary accommodation was provided in various hotels in Nelson.
“The outpouring of support from Nelson and area residents and organizations has been extraordinary,” said Mayor John Dooley.
“The many donations and offers of assistance have proven instrumental in helping residents move forward during this challenging time. It’s also important to recognize that a fire such as this has a longer-term impact on the individuals involved.”
Monitoring of the longer term needs of residents has continued through the coordination of “The Unmet Needs Committee” comprised of representatives from the City of Nelson, the Regional District of Central Kootenay, the Canadian Red Cross, Nelson Community Services Centre, Kootenay Christian Fellowship, The Salvation Army, Nelson CARES Society, Selkirk College, the Province of BC and a Kerr Apartments resident.
The committee has been working with residents towards re-establishment of their losses and long-term accommodation solutions.
